Box for filing index cards



BOX FOR FILING INDEX CARDS Filed Jan. 29, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1UUUUWUUU; m

I' to* mfk fa @EL a 17g/h W. ERICH BOX FOR FILING INDEX `GARDS FiledJan. 29, 1929 :s sheets-sheet 2 Fig.

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Jan. 2l, 193).

` Box F03 .FILING INDEX CARDS Fileaaan, 29, 1929 A s sheets-sheet s w.ERICH 1,744,373

Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES WALTHER ERICH, or BERLIN-HALENSEE,GERMANY BOX FOR FILING INDEX CARDS Application led January 29, 1929,Serial No. 335,928, and in Germany January 23, 1928.

Boxes for filing index cards have become known, so-called card indexes,which comprise a mechanism for selecting certain cards or card groups. y

These mechanisms are not quite perfectas some of them allow only theselection of a limited number of cards or card groups and others do noteven allow the selection of an .individual card. The operation of suchmechanisms is also rather difficult and complicated.

This invention has for its object to provide a card index of simpleconstruction, reliable operation and fulilling all conditions,

so that the index 'ecards tol be mechanically selected, arranged at somedistance from a side wall and from the bottom plate of the box andadapted to be shifted singly and in groups by means of selecting flapsor key rods at two adjacent side edges by exterior selecting keys, areshifted on lower key rods by said side key rods, a further selectionbeing possible by the lower key rods which eiiect the lifting of theselected index card. Predetermined cards of one or several groupsselected by shifting, can be returned by auxiliary key rods into theinitial position or can be secured in this position by locking bars toprevent movement when othercards are shipped. i v

Several embodiment of the invention are illustrated, by way of examplein the accompanying drawings in which z- Fig. l shows inlongitudinal'sect'ion, the simplest form of construction. Figs. 2, 3 and4 are similar views showing each a modification, the-selectingpossibility being increased by additional mechanisms.

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a box for 4 tiling index' cards builtaccording to the invention. The several index cards have, besides theusual index tab m on the top edge, a laterally projecting tongue (1,1),c, d (Fig. l)

indicating a main group, and downwardly projecting tongues 1, 2. 3 onthe bottom edge indicating a sub-group. The index cards are liled in abox c at a certain distance from the bottom late of the box and from oneside wall of t e same. -In the side wall remote from the tongues a, b,c, d, auxiliary key bars L are arranged, adapted to be operated from theoutside of the box so that vthey can be made to penetrate into thevgaplare situated under the spaces between the lower tongues.

The selection of oneorseveral main groups of index cards is effected bymeans of' the corresponding lateral key rods and tongues, .for examplein Fig. 1 the rod b and the tongue b, by meansof which the main group Bof cards is shifted to the .left a distance corresponding to the spacingm, between the cards and the wall of the box at that side so that thelower tongues of the cards in this group are brought above the lower keyrods. To select from this selected main group the desired sub-group orsub-groups the corresponding lower key rods 3', 3 (two lower keyl rodsbeing preferably provided for each sub-group) are lifted a distance y,whereby from the selected main group thoseindex S0 cards are selectedwhich have the lower ton ues 3, 3; these selected cards being lifted sot at they can be `easily removed from the box. Y

By lowering the lower key rods the single 8 5 cards or sub-groups arereturned into the initial position, and the main groups are returnedinto the initial position by the auxiliary key rods L being pushed'inward.

The number of the lateral and lower selecting tongues and key rodsdepends evidently on the actual conditions.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 2 the lateral main grouptongues a, b, c, d, e of the index cards Q, bear against one of the sidewalls of box K, in which side Wall the key rods 1a', b', c', d', e to beoperatedl from the outside are arranged. 'The opposite edges 'of theindex-cards, spaced the distance from the corresponding side wall of thebox, 109

have each an incision I, II, III, IV or V for the subx-groups, to whichthe key rods I correspond. On the lower edge 'pairs of lifting tongues 1to 5 are arranged adapted when .shifted` to the left to come intoAregister with the lifting key rods 1 to 5. In each of the two side wallsand in the bottom dplate of the'box a pair of auxiliary key ro s -W, L Sis further arranged designed to move simultaneously all of the cards ofany actually collected group.

By these two selecting arrangements selection of single index cards orof lgroups of cards lcan be carried out in different manners.

The operations are as follows:

I Single selection-By shifting a key rod c of the main group selectorsfor instance by depression of its keyl all cards of the corres ondinggroup are brought into register with tile pairs of lifting key rods 1 to5-. By shifting a left key-rod lfor instance IV -all other sub-groupsare pushed back into their initial position and merely the cards of thatsub-group of the main group which have the incision IV remain above thelifting key rods. By operating a pair of the lifting key rods, forinstance 1', the index card Q, of the Subv group IV of the main group ccan be selected by vertical parallel displacement.

II. Sub-group selection-In this case the A pair of auxiliary key rods Sis operated instead of the pair of lifting key rods 1 so that the entireSub-group IV of the main group c is' lifted.

III. Main group seZect1on.-After the operation of the main group key rodc this whole group can be lifted out by means of the auxilia rods S.

IV. ombz'ned seZect' ons.-By operating several main group keyscorresponding subgroups of different main groups can be brought intoregister with the pairs of lifting key rods corresponding. Sub-groups ofall main groups may be selected further by operating the auxiliary rodsW and corresponding single index cards of different sub-groups of allmain groups may be selected by operating the corresponding ke rods.

The selected index car's can be brought again all together by returningthe auxiliary key rods S into the lower position and shifted back alltogether into the initial postion by operating the left-hand auxiliaryke rods L.

It will readily be observed that ue to the number of selecting keys ofeach group, great accuracy may be obtained in selecting a card or cards.It is further possible to utilize also for the selecting, the upper cardedge, by mounting riders on the same.

For certain cases, it might be desirable to mechanically retain in theirinitial position iredeterminedcards which are not required.

Vith this object in view incisions 1^', r2 are arranged inthe lateraltongues a, Z) of the index cards as shown in Fig. 3. With theseincisions 1' engage locking bars o', o2 which mi ht be cou led in aconvenient manner'with t e key r s a', b2 These locking bars o onlyrelease the incision 7' in the tongues a, b, c ofthose cards which haveto be moved by the catches so that only these cards can be shifted. v

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 4 each card has at the pointof the lateral edge which stands opposite to the lateral tongues a, b anincision a2, b2 Each of the ,ke -rods a', b', is further coupled with aey rod a, b3 in the opposite side wall by means not shown in such amanner that the two corresponding rods, move simiiltaneously into thebox. In this manner only those cards can be positively shiftedthe keyrod-for inst-ance 0-of which is operated as all other index cards areretained in the initial position by the counter catch c3 shifted at thesame time.

Fig. 5 shows in perspective view a box for mounting said cards in spacedrelation to one side wall of the box and to the bottom plate of thesame, said index cards having at least one tongue at two adjacent edges,in combination with lower key rods in said box, key rods in the sidewall of the box corresponding to the side edge of the card having atongue, said lateral key rods adapted to shift selected cards over thelower key rods so that a further selection of cards can be lifted fromsaid selected cards by said lower key rods.

2. In a-box for filing index cardsfas specified in claim 1, incombination with the selecting key rods in one side wall of the box,auxiliary rods in the opposite side wall of the box for returning theselected cards into thel initial position.

3. In a. .box for filing index cards, as specied in claim 1,1ncombination with the selecting key rods in one side wall of the box,auxiliary key rods in the opposite side wall of 'the boxfor returningthe selected cards into the initial position, and auxiliary key rods inthe first-mentioned side wall of the box in which said selecting keybars are arranged where-by primary selection of cards of all the maingroups may be effected and corres onding single index cards of differentsu -gi'oups of said main groups may be selected.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALTHER ERICH.

